This invention is directed to accessories for wheelchairs and more particularly to a universal abduction wedge that can be installed on wheelchairs having seats of different thickness.
In many instances persons confined to wheelchairs because of handicapping conditions such as cerebral palsy, have postural abnormalities and positional instability that may require corrective support or stabilization. For example in individuals with lower extremity spasticity, the knees tend to converge or pull over each other in a manner which can cause hip dislocation.
One known device for limiting knee convergence and pull over is an abduction wedge that is located on a wheelchair seat between the knees and thighs. The abduction wedge keeps the legs separated and thus helps to prevent hip dislocation. The abduction wedge also helps prevent soft tissue contractures and limits forward movement of an individual's pelvis in the chair thereby preventing slippage from the chair.
Abduction wedges have various sizes and shapes such as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,216,738; 3,761,126; 3,992,057; 4,165,127; 4,192,546 and 4,579,390.
Seating devices and chairs for infants and young children are also known to include a spacer or restraining member disposed between a child's legs to limit forward movement of the child as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,784,775; 2,851,084 and 3,037,813.
While the abduction wedge is highly beneficial in maintaining separation of the legs of a wheelchair occupant, it can also be an obstacle. For example, wheelchair occupants often require assistance when being transferred to or from the wheelchair. Many wheelchair occupants must be bodily lifted during such transfer which can be an awkward and strenuous procedure, especially for a caregiver who does the lifting. The awkwardness and physical demands of a wheelchair transfer procedure are further compounded if the wheelchair occupant must be lifted over an abduction wedge. In such instances, more than one caregiver may be required to assist in the transfer of the wheelchair occupant. Furthermore, if the wheelchair occupant is inadvertently lifted against or dropped against an abduction wedge, the resultant impact or rubbing can cause injury to the wheelchair occupant.
In response to this problem, some known abduction wedges can be temporarily removed or pivoted from an on-seat position to an off-seat position to facilitate transfer of the wheelchair occupant. When pivoted to a off-seat position the abduction wedge is usually disposed at the front lower leg portion of the chair. Thus with an abduction wedge in an off-seat position the transfer procedure is facilitated.
Abduction wedges that are pivotable from one position to another on a wheelchair are usually adapted to a specific seat thickness of a wheelchair. Thus an abduction wedge manufactured for a wheelchair having a specific seat thickness generally cannot be used on a wheelchair seat of another thickness.
It is thus desirable to provide an abduction wedge for a wheelchair that can be universally fitted onto wheelchair seats of different thickness and can also be pivoted away from the wheelchair seat to facilitate transfer of a wheelchair occupant.